Walter Mosley easily trounced his competition in the three-way primary race to replace Assemblyman Hakeem Jeffries on Thursday night, garnering a whopping 63 percent of the vote.
When the polls closed in Fort Greene and Clinton Hill, Mosley had secured nearly 4,300 votes — more than double the amount collected by his main competitor and fellow Democratic district leader Olanike Alabi, who received just over 2,000 votes.
Education activist and lobbyist Martine Guerrier came in a distant third, securing just 493 votes, according to WNYC radio.
Mosley, who had been endorsed by Borough President Markowitz, Councilwoman Letitia James (D–Fort Greene), and Assemblyman Jeffries — who secured the Democratic nomination to replace outgoing Rep. Ed Towns in June — was overwhelmed by the support he received at the polls.
“We knocked on thousands of doors, made thousands of calls and I am proud to say we are here today in victory,” Mosley told supporters, explaining that he was looking forward to working with James and Jeffries in the years to come. “Together, as a progressive trifecta, we will work for you.”
Jeffries also cheered Mosley’s victory.
“I can now go to Congress with great peace of mind knowing that this community is in the best hands possible,” Jeffries said.
Gracefully accepting defeat, Alabi said she enjoyed running for Assembly.
“I am extremely proud of the race we ran, but more importantly, the opportunity to meet so many wonderful people along the way,” she said.
Guerrier didn’t return calls for comment.
All three raised small sums of money compared to most Assembly campaigns, but said they were more interested in courting district residents rather than special interest groups. As of the most recent filing, Mosley had raised $47,460 and Alabi had raised $45,285. Guerrier collected just $7,750, but said she did so on purpose.
“My base can’t afford to give $100 right off the bat,” Guerrier told us in an earlier interview. “I started to feel like I was a bill collector. I can see why some candidates go after the organizations and the special interests.”
